Vol. 564 No. 3
81 Ms Lynch asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food his views on a recent opinion poll (details supplied) which found that the Government's policies were rejected by 84% of farmers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8850/03]
While I do not wish to comment on the specific poll, which was commissioned by the Irish Farmers' Association, I accept that 2002 was a difficult year for farmers. Aggregate farm income fell by 8.9% in 2002 to €2,381million, following increases of 4.2% in 2001 and 8.6% in 2000. The fall was caused by a combination of unprecedented bad weather, a drop in beef slaughtering from their high levels in 2001 and lower market returns in areas such as dairying. The agricultural sector is facing an uncertain and challenging period. It is understandable, given the economic downturn both nationally and internationally and the uncertainty surrounding the outcome of the negotiations of the mid-term CAP review and the WTO, that farmers are concerned about the future.
